Marine Systems

SHOP SAFETY AND TOOL USE
Students learn safety standards and safe operating procedures for stationary and portable hand and power tools as well as appropriate federal and state standards, personal protective equipment, machine tool safety, hazardous waste, and fire prevention procedures.

ELECTRICAL FUNDAMENTALS, BASIC & ADVANCED INSTALLATION, TROUBLESHOOTING
This course instructs fundamental principles for circuit and electrical equipment design including use of electrical meters and test equipment to troubleshoot common electrical circuit problems and component fault identification. Additionally, this course covers circuit layout and design, equipment installations in accordance with the US Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and more advanced topics covered in the applicable American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) Electrical Standards.

PIPING AND PLUMBING / POTABLE WATER SYSTEMS
This course teaches the installation techniques of various onboard plumbing systems, including standard maintenance, winterizing and re-commissioning, seacocks, thru-hull installation and connections, hose and fitting types, drain plugs and potable water systems.

ON BOARD TANKAGE (FUEL, POTABLE WATER, WASTE)
Students learn the standards and industry practices that apply to tankage systems, design and installation requirements.

MARINE SANITATION DEVICES (MSD)
MSD covers the federal and local regulations for waste water systems and specific characteristics of the three general types of sanitation systems. Course work includes commissioning and decommissioning, maintenance, troubleshooting, diagnostics, and repair.

MARINE PUMPS
Primary pump types including impeller, centrifugal, displacement and diaphragm are learned. Course work includes determining the most appropriate pump type for a given application, pump performance and effective service life, design and installation of various pump systems, and manufacturer specific recommendations.

LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS (LPG) AND COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS SYSTEMS (CNG)
This course covers the installation and service of onboard gas systems used for cooking, water heating and cabin heat as well as fuel storage, system design, and appliance selection.

Fire Protection Systems: United States Coast Guard (USCG) requirements for onboard fire extinguishing equipment for recreational boats are examined. Course work covers portable, fixed, manually actuated, and automatic systems, fire classifications, differences in extinguishing agents, manufacturer specific recommendations, and system capacity calculations and design.

FUEL SYSTEMS – GAS & DIESEL
Students learn the design, installation, and maintenance procedures for fuel systems as dictated by both the CFR and ABYC standards. The course outlines the requirements for tank design, location, and installation as well as proper plumbing for fuel fill and vent systems.

STEERING SYSTEMS
Students learn a variety of steering system types for both power and sailing craft. Course work covers selection, installation, and service of marine steering systems, both mechanical and hydraulic. Since many of the systems are proprietary in design, lessons follow specific recommendations from vendors such as Edson, Teleflex and Vetus.

DIESEL ENGINES  
In this course, students master the fundamental principles and operational needs of marine diesel engines. Course work includes the primary needs of a diesel engine; routine maintenance tasks such as commissioning and decommissioning; fuel and lubrication system service, cooling system maintenance and service, and troubleshooting and preliminary diagnostics. Mechanical and electronic diesel engine fuel injection systems and engine drive systems are studied in depth. Shop work covers assembly and disassembly procedures on marine gear assemblies.

GASOLINE ENGINE MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND OVERHAUL
Gasoline inboard and inboard /outboard engines are studied in theory and practice including maintenance and repair procedures, commissioning and decommissioning, basic engine needs such as fuel, air, compression and exhaust for both carbureted and fuel-injected engines, routine tuning procedures and use of electronic scanning equipment and proprietary laptop-based software programs to perform diagnostic procedures on new engine electronic fuel injection systems.

INBOARD/OUTBOARD AND SAILDRIVE MAINTENANCE & REPAIR
Students learn removal and installation techniques, routine maintenance, disassembly and overhaul of inboard/outboard and saildrive gear assemblies from Yanmar, Mercury and Volvo Penta.

AIR CONDITIONING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS
This course covers the basic physics of refrigeration systems, principles of operation, cooling components, essential selection, sizing and systems maintenance methods and procedures, and environmental considerations. Lab work includes system problem diagnosis, refrigerant recovery, system evacuation and recharge procedures and leak detection.

MARINE ELECTRONICS INSTALLATION AND TROUBLESHOOTING
Types and categories of equipment used in onboard electronic systems are studied, including communications and navigation equipment, autopilot, and networked monitoring systems. Course work includes installation, ergonomics, weatherproofing, grounding and antenna mountings, FCC requirements, and NMEA (National Marine Electronics Association) installation standards.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
This area of study teaches the basic principles and skills of estimation, costing, budgeting and contracting for electrical systems and power systems installations.

All students complete an externship which is facilitated through Career Development. Through the externship opportunity, students apply the skills they've acquired in the shop to the workplace while gaining valuable business, resume-building, and hands-on experience:

• Resume writing 
• Industry research
• Interviewing & professional communication
• Application of craftsmanship & technical skills in a business environment
• Relationship building with employers 

Learn more about the IYRS externship program here.